LETTER OF THE DAY: Tied to the past by big, old coal barons

THERE is a very big ball of energy 152 million kilometres away called the sun.

It voraciously pumps energy into this planet and has led to inventions such as life, food, sunscreen etc.

We have an unlimited source of considerable energy, which thanks to some creativity is now available for us to use. That's handy, because we like using it - 24 hours a day across most of the inhabited planet.

Not only do we have this limitless font of power, but in Australia we also have a lot of desert - sometimes windy, often hot.

Lots and lots of baking hot desert equals lots and lots of free energy to be tapped. Why do we insist on using 19th century technologies to generate our electricity? We've had no problem moving forward in other areas, and as a card-carrying "First World" nation we almost pride ourselves on our progress, don't we?

Digging up coal and burning it to make steam that then drives a turbine to generate electricity is gone - now we use photovoltaic cells, wind turbines and solar power towers. Don't we? Ah, no - not entirely at least.

It doesn't take a genius to guess why a small group of wealthy and powerful people are clinging on to this archaic method. What's most perplexing is why we are letting them do it?